


Dinosaur Tears

by the13thCaretaker



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode s01e10 War Stories, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 03:45:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10845822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the13thCaretaker/pseuds/the13thCaretaker
Summary: Wash has nightmares after being tortured.





	Dinosaur Tears

The nightmares came a week after he and the Captain were rescued from Niska. Zoe noticed how tense her husband's shoulders would become. She'd wrap her arms softly, but firmly around him, letting him know that he was safe and nothing could harm him.

Wash was of course grateful for his warrior goddess of a wife looking out for him, but with every night came a new nightmare and instead of tensing up and quiet muttering, he began to writhe and cry out. One night he woke, crying out as he bolted upright. Zoe was immediately right by him,rubbing his back and whispering sweet words of comfort in his ear. However they didn't comfort Wash as much he would have liked. He felt weak. Mal had endured so much more than he did. Hell, he kept Wash from caving even through all that pain. And here he was, crying like a baby about it in the middle of the night.

As more nights passed, Wash came to bed later and later. He took longer shifts at the helm, simply staring into the black in his own company. It was nice there. Quiet. A good place to have a peaceful think. Little by little his thoughts were beginning to focus on things other than what he had recently experienced. Zoe spoke with him about it occasionally, but kept her distance as well. She knew how it was to try to make peace with things like this; it was a rough thing to battle, but she let her husband know he wasn't alone in his fight.

However,though he was getting better, one night it came back to nearly overwhelm him. Wash barely made it to the bridge and into his seat before the tears started to fall. How could anyone be such a monster as to put another human being through so much pain? To think it was almost Zoe in his position. What would he have done if his beloved wife had gone through that? Nothing so brave as she had done, he was sure. He cursed himself for being so weak. He would have panicked and failed her, that's what he would have done. Why did she even love him anyway? After all his weakness and foolishness that she tolerated?

Wash bit back another sob, biting down on his fist to stay quiet. Apparently he hadn't been all that subtle, though. He sucked in a breath and promptly froze as he heard boots on the metal floor in the doorway being him. It wasn't the Captain, thank god, the steps had been too light. His heart sank again as he came to the conclusion it was probably Zoe, looking for him since he hadn't come to bed yet. She would catch him like this, all weak and pathetic and be let down again.

"Wash...," she said, "You okay up here?"

He didn't answer, just stayed silent, staring wide eyed into the still black and biting down on his fist at the sound of not Zoe, but Kaylee's voice. He didn't know what Kaylee would do if she saw him like this. He knew Jayne would laugh, Simon would probably give him some drug to make him sleep, the Shepard would likely pray or something. He wasn't sure about the others. 

Boots clanked on the floor as the girl came closer. She carefully stepped around to the side of the seat and crouched down next to Wash so that she was looking up at him.

"Oh Wash..." she said. He was rigid as she took hold of the hand not being used as a gag.

After a number of long seconds, Wash slowly tore his eyes from the sky to look at Kaylee. Her eyes were welled with an abundance of sympathy. They were unjudging and lacked any kind of pity, only a gentle kindness. Wash swallowed and a tear was jarred loose from his eye. Kaylee reached up to wipe it away. But she didn't stop there, she straightened up on her knees so that she could wrap her arms around him and before he realized it, Wash was sobbing in Kaylee's embrace. Wet sobs were wrenched out from inside of him and giant crocodile tears fell from his eyes. The only sounds breaking the silence of the ship were the engine and Wash's sobs.

The stayed that way until the tears had run dry. Kaylee had shed a few too, sympathetic for her friend's trials, frustrations, and fears. No words had been said. Kaylee's presence was simply enough for Wash until the tears stopped flowing. Kaylee held onto him until long after he stopped crying, even though her knees were getting to be a mite sore. Eventually Wash slowly pulled back.

"S-sorry, Kaylee, I just-" he started.

"I always liked this one," Kaylee interrupted, picking up one of the dinosaur toys. "I forget what it's called though." She looked at Wash expectantly as she maneuvered into a more comfortable sitting position on the floor next to his seat.

Wash blinked, looking from Kaylee to the dinosaur. He sniffled a little before he answered quietly, "That one's the stegosaurus."

Kaylee smiled and ran her finger in between the spines of its back and down it's tail. "What's the scary looking one with the teeth?"

"The tyrannosaurus rex," Wash replied.

"Rex," Kaylee said, smiling warmly with a quiet giggle. "Makes him sound like a big puppy." 

"Kaylee..." said Wash, before she could as another question about dinosaurs. 

Kaylee turned her eyes from the dinosaurs to look at Wash's still red and puffy-eyed face.

"Thank you," he said, voice hoarse. 

"Of course, Wash. You're my friend, and where would we all be without our pilot?" she said, standing up and kissing the side of his forehead. She moved to the copilot's chair and sat down in it. "Now tell me more about the dinosaurs."

As Wash picked up the triceratops and the apatosaurus he realized that the crew-his family loved him for who he was. He realized that bad things had happened and there was nothing he could do to change them; and given the chance he wouldn't. He knew that if it had been Zoe, he would probably still have panicked, but he wouldn't have hesitated to go get her. His earlier thoughts had been ridiculous and silly. His family loved him and he loved them. 

He continued to tell Kaylee about the dinosaurs, picking them up and setting them into scenes to demonstrate things. They talked about the dinosaurs and he listened to Kaylee's laugh, taking comfort in the innocent and warm sound. They played with the dinosaurs until his words came slower... and slower... until they ceased coming as he drifted into a peaceful slumber, resting comfortably in his chair.

Kaylee got up and ran to her room, returning with her favorite patchwork quilt and a little pillow. She gently slid the pillow under Wash's head so that his neck wouldn't be cramped when he woke and tucked the brightly colored blanket up to Wash's chin. She smiled down at him and whispered good night before returning back to her own room.

Zoe, who had seen nearly the whole thing, stepped out from her place in the shadows of a side doorway. Her heart surged with warmth for the sweet little mechanic for giving her man what he needed. It hurt that she hadn't been able to provide it, but she had some understanding of what he must have been thinking. She stepped around so that she see her husband and smiled softly, watching him sleep all snuggled up in the colorful blanket with his dinosaurs. There were no fitful twitches or frantic mutters, just peaceful bliss on his face.

Zoe bent and planted a soft kiss on Wash's forehead and stayed there for a minute, breathing in his scent. "I love you, husband," she whispered.


End file.
